At the annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 23-24, 2019, Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg, Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan - along with a number of other political leaders – are scheduled to discuss concrete steps for sustainable utilization of the sea.
Due to the challenges currently being faced by our sea, such initiatives are urgently needed. The deadline for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is only 11 years, namely until 2030. In order to achieve the SDGs, we must be able to produce more results from the sea: more food, jobs and energy. At the same time, we must be able to maintain the sea\'s ability to control the weather and preserve biodiversity.
The following are several considerations why we should try better in managing the sea. To build a sustainable sea-based economy, we must stop the degradation of marine ecosystems and improve the conditions of our seas. The results of this effort will be able to bring extraordinary benefits. Let alone when viewed from their location, coastal countries such as Indonesia and Norway have a strategic position to reach out and manage the marine potential owned by the two countries.
The ocean stretches like a "blue thread" throughout Norwegian history. Sustainable management of the sea has become the basis for the successful achievement of the well-being for the entire Norwegian nation. This can be seen from the magnitude of the Norwegian marine industry, which reaches 70 percent of total exports.
Norwegian experience
In Norway, marine is essential to the government\'s strategies, both for domestic and global affairs. The strategies include the use of environmentally friendly technologies, digitalization, innovative management of marine resources, international diplomacy, and the fight against illegal fishing and plastic pollution.
The success of these strategies will depend on whether or not we can combine the knowledge that has been gained so far through research and innovation. We had ever done it, namely when Norway discovered oil for the first time in the North Sea in 1969, when knowledge of the oil industry was still very minimal. And, thanks to centuries of experience in shipping, shipbuilding and natural resource management, we had finally been able to learn how to produce oil and gas in the proper way.
Over the last several years, Norwegian companies that have expertise in the field of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) have been able to extend the production of Norwegian oil fields, far beyond what could be done in the past. This technology can also be applied in Indonesia, where with the use of this technology, oil production can rise up to several percent. Even though the availability of non-renewable fuels will one day be removed, until the next few decades the use of petroleum will still play a role as one of the world\'s energy sources.
Back in the 1970s, the Norwegians did not have much knowledge about marine cultivation. After years of experimenting, and experiencing failures and successes, we finally succeeded in developing a profitable maritime industry, sustainable, and able to contribute to global food security. Now Norway is able to produce 1 million tons of marine aquaculture every year. There is no reason why Indonesia cannot achieve the same, or even higher production rates.
From ideas to investment
According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), a number of marine industries show very attractive prospects for future growth, including fish processing, offshore wind energy, shipbuilding, and port management. Moreover, the growing middle class population will drive global demand for beach-based holidays, which will certainly benefit Indonesia, a country famous for its many beautiful beaches. Clean sea is a prerequisite for this, because Norway is happy and willing to support projects aimed at reducing plastic waste in the Java and Bali Sea.
If we want to utilize the sea to improve your welfare and prosperity, we must first overcome the threat to the ocean; climate change; garbage and marine pollution; illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUUF); and disappearance of habitat and biodiversity.
Despite the many threats, there is also a glimmer of hope. In 2014, the Our Ocean Conference (OOC) was first held in Washington, the US, and has since become an important annual arena, where countries, international institutions and non-governmental organizations make real commitments to save lives at sea. The 5th OOC was held successfully by Indonesia in October 2018, with the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi and the Indonesian Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti being in the front row. This year, October 23-24, in Oslo, it will be Norway\'s turn to host.
To move forward from ideas to investment, and from investment to results, Prime Minister Solberg in 2018 invited 11 world leaders to join the High Level Panel for Sustainable Marine Economics. Indonesia, through its leadership in the world in maritime affairs, was of course one of the 11 countries, and President Joko Widodo had become one of the earliest leaders of the country to express the invitation.
The aim of the panel is to develop a new shared understanding of the economic situation and marine ecology, and to produce a number of recommendations for building a sustainable global marine economy. The panel will present a roadmap for the transition to a sustainable marine economy, and will report it to the UN Ocean Conference next year.
The sea has the key to solving various problems and challenges the world is facing today.
(Vegard Kaale, Norwegian Ambassador to Indonesia and Timor Leste)